Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics will face the New York Knicks for their second preseason game on October 9, after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston has been busy throughout the offseason, adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to their rotation.
Tatum ended the game against Philadelphia with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 23.1% from the field. The All-NBA forward will need to improve his efficiency from the floor when he faces the Knicks in the second preseason game of Boston’s schedule.
Jayson Tatum is the Celtics’ best player. The St. Louis native is a versatile scoring threat who can initiate the offense and guard multiple positions. After struggling for consistency during the Celtics’ opening game, Tatum will need to bounce back against the Knicks. Otherwise, Boston fans will be concerned about his notorious slow start to the season.
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The All-NBA wing also has two new stars to mesh with. It will take time for Tatum to learn how to get the best from his new teammates and use their skill sets to his advantage. Nevertheless, in the opening game against Philadelphia, we saw Tatum make a point of attacking from the post, something that was missing from his game last season.
Jayson Tatum opted against wrist surgery
Jayson Tatum has been dealing with a wrist injury since the Boston Celtics NBA Finals run in 2022. When speaking to the media as part of the Celtics media day, Tatum addressed the injury, noting how he decided against having surgery this summer:
“I just got a bunch of second, third, and fourth opinions,” Tatum said. “Surgery wasn’t a common one. I wasn’t all the way certain about it, but did all the right things this summer. Took all the right measures to make sure I was healthy and prepared to come into this season with no distractions.”
Tatum’s wrist was wrapped up throughout last season and will likely need to be taken care of in the coming months. However, if the All-Star wing can continue to develop his game, he should have no problem avoiding unnecessary contact.
The veteran forward has looked bigger and stronger throughout his preseason media appearances, which could be why he’s looking to work out of the post more this season. Of course, with Holiday and Porzingis on the roster, Tatum will have two elite 3-point shooting options to kick the ball out to if the defense decides to collapse on him.
If Jayson Tatum can stay healthy, and the Boston Celtics can live up to their billing as potential championship favorites, there’s no reason why he can’t be in the MVP race in the coming season.
